The present invention relates to a roll block for rolling wire, rods, pipes or flat metal material to be rolled, having a number of exchangeable roll stands disposed closely next to one another in a roll line and each having a plurality of rollers and a plurality of C-shaped frames which hold the roll stands and are positioned closely next to one another with turning moment transfer components for driving each roller.
A known roll block of this type is disclosed in DE-OS 23 36 417. It has two roll stands each held by a C-shaped frame. The distributor and diverting transmissions, as turning moment transfer components for the two roll stands of each C-shaped frame, are combined to form one unit. Therefore in the known construction type it is not possible to produce a roll block with any desired number of roll stands but only one with a even number thereof. If, by reason of the provided rolling programme and the materials to be rolled, the arrangement of the roll block produces an uneven maximum number of roll stands, an additional roll stand, which is in fact superfluous, must be provided in the case of this construction type. This leads to considerable extra expense and clearly higher costs since not only the additional roll stand, but an additional driving part also have to be provided. This construction type is bound to a particular formation which is fixed once and for all. It is, for example, only possible with uneconomically high expense to increase the maximum number of roll stands at a later date. The intermediate transmission driving the distributor transmission of the C-shaped frames are usually formed in a specific manner for this roll block and also disposed in a specific way together with their driving motors. Special transmissions of this type are usually expensive, being manufactured individually, and this also applies for their replacement parts. In the case of a fault the roll block and often the whole installation is shut down for a long time until the special replacement parts are acquired and the repair completed.